Midnight Breakfast/Primal Scream

At the end of every semester during the last night of reading week, Swarthmore students gather in Sharples to vent. Breakfast food is served to students by faculty members and at midnight the Primal Scream begins. Students drop whatever they are doing and start a rage-filled scream that can be heard from outside of Sharples. This event marks the beginning of exam week. 

Students who are unable to go to Sharples open their windows and screams as loud as they can, no matter where they are located.

Alexandra Huber-Weiss '13
Montclair, N.J.

"It creates such a sense of support and togetherness. At that point in the semester, everything was just coming to a close (papers, projects, plays, etc.) and it was great to see that everyone else understood what I was going through and needed to scream just as badly as I did."

Many feel that this tradition creates an unbelievable bond between students and is a way for everyone to provide and receive support during a stressful time. "The primal scream is unbelievably releasing," says Huber-Weiss '13. "The whole campus comes out to show support for each other and the professors serve us food. It's just a great community bonding experience, coupled with a tension-releasing primal scream."

"It is a great way to wind down and relax right before the stress-filled finals week," agrees Carlo Felizaardo '11 from Quezon City, Philippines. "Nothing is more cathartic during this time than screaming with fellow Swatties in unison at midnight."